Developing and formulation of plant base fungicides is a new approach in the management of plant diseases that avoids enviromental pollution and enables a more efficient control of pathogenic fungal diseases of agricultural plants. Extracts from leaf part of Melia azedarach were studied as potential antifungal agents for selected phytopathogenic fungi. Melia azedarach is a small to medium deciduous tree, an attractive ornamental and shade tree with a high lateral branching. It is one of the most useful traditional medicinal plants which is common in tropical and sub-tropical areas. The current research work was designed to extract and evaluate the antifungal activity of leaf of Melia Azedarach plant against Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger and Colletotrichum kuhawae. For extraction of antifungal agents from Melia azedarach leaf different organic solvents: water, methanol, ethanol, petroleum ether and chloroform solvents were used. The antifungal activity of the solvent extracts was evaluated based on poisoned food technique. Antifungal effects of testing the extracts showed good result. Among them, ethanol solvent extract of the Melia azedarach had the greatest impact in creating mycelial growth inhibitory zone; also in most cases the highest concentration has the greatest influence in forming inhibitory zone. Generally in a zone of inhibition, the effects of six concentrations are different, that the best concentration is 100mg/ml and 75mg/ml, 50mg/ml, 20mg/ml, 10mg/ml and 5mg/ml followed respectively
Keywords: antifungal effect, Melia azedarach, pathogenic fungi